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Author Notes: This one’s for the chocoholics and is inspired by my Chocolate Stout Cake recipes here in the Food52 archives. - mrslarkin

Food52 Review: WHO: Mrslarkin lives in Pound Ridge, NY and is known for her scones which she sells at local farmers markets.
WHAT: A rich dark chocolate pudding that puts the store-bought version to shame.
HOW: On the stovetop, heat a mixture of cocoa powder, sugar, and espresso powder with cream and cornstarch. Add milk, Irish stout, and tempered egg yolks. When the mixture is thick, remove it from the heat and add even more chocolate.
WHY WE LOVE IT: You can never go wrong when pairing chocolate with more chocolate. Where this pudding exceeds the choco-norm is in the depth of flavor created by the addition of crisp, slightly bitter stout. Each bite hits the perfect balance between sweet and bitter -- the only drawback is waiting for it to cool. - The Editors

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream on medium-low until just steaming.

Stir in the cocoa mixture and continue stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.

Add milk and stout to the cocoa/cream mixture. Increase heat to medium. Cook until good and hot.

While liquid is heating, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining tablespoon sugar, and vanilla. Place a damp paper towel under your egg yolk bowl so it doesn't slip around the counter as you whisk.

When cocoa/cream mixture is hot, take about a cupful and drizzle it into the egg mixture while whisking the eggs like mad. This is called tempering the eggs, so you don't end up with scrambled eggs, which would be yucky in your pudding. Here's where the damp paper towel trick comes in handy.

Pour the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan to join the pudding party. With the heat still at medium, stir continuously until really thick and pudding-y, about 10 minutes. Small bubbles are okay, but you don't want it to boil, so adjust the heat if necessary.

Move the saucepan off the heat. Stir in the chocolate pieces until melted. Stir in the butter.

Let cool and pour into small ramekins covered with plastic wrap, if desired. Chill for a few hours or serve slightly warm with whipped cream.